Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05THEHAGUE362
2005-02-08 14:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:  

DUTCH MFA ON GEORGIA BORDER MONITORING OPERATION

Tags:  PREL PGOV GG EU NL 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000362

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG EU NL
SUBJECT: DUTCH MFA ON GEORGIA BORDER MONITORING OPERATION

REF: STATE 21669

Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL COUNSELOR ANDREW SCHOFER FOR REA
SONS 1.4 (B AND D)

(C) PolOff conveyed reftel points to Dutch MFA OSCE Desk
Officer Mark Versteden on February 7. Versteden said the
GONL's view was similar to the U.S. position and shared the
substance of MFA's instructions to the Dutch EU Mission for
the February 8 PSC Meeting. The Dutch also support a
continued international presence on the Russia-Georgia
border. Their first choice would be to see a continuation of
the OSCE's Georgia BMO but Versteden acknowledged this was
"almost impossible," so they are prepared to explore
alternatives. The Dutch would like to have a fact-finding
mission, ideally from the OSCE, sent to the area. Versteden
conceded this would likely face the same Russian objections
as the BMO itself. If an OSCE fact-finding mission were not
possible, then perhaps an EU mission could be sent. The
Dutch hope that deploying an EU mission might be enough to
get the Russians to drop their objection to renewing the OSCE
BMO. Versteden also said that as a last resort, the GONL was
willing to explore options for a "coalition of the willing,"
but agrees with the U.S. as to the disadvantages of such an
approach.
SOBEL